Game



Oct. 4, 1960 R. E. TowLE, JR

GAME

Filed Oct. 5. 1953,

GAME

Robert E. Towle, Jr., 410 s. 48th Ave, Omaha, Nebr.

7 Filed Oct. 5, 1953, Ser. No. 384,303

1 Claim. (31. 273-126) This invention relates to games of a type playedwith a sliding puck and in particular it is an object of this inventionto provide a folding hinged sliding board in such a game whereby thegame can be stored more readily.

Games of this general type have been patented many times but never hasany game for use in the home of the sliding puck type ever received widepopularity.

This has, in my opinion, been because it has been very .inobvious toinventors to so design these games so that the rack on which they areplayed can fold.

The advantages of folding are great, in that folding makes possibleconvenient storage behind a davenport or drapery, or in a closet of ahome. Also it makes it possible to transport the game conveniently fordelivery and for the user to carry the game to a friends house for useother than in the home.

This game has the advantage of active physical activity without thenecessity of expensive equipment because it is designed to be placed ona dining room table or card table to avoid the expense of legs.

Therefore, a further object of this invention is to'provide suitablesupporting means under the rack for engaging the top of atable in orderto prevent the hinge from contacting the table. Preferably this meansconsists of buttons formed of rubber or the like to avoid scratching ofthe table.

A further object resides in the provision of a clasping means incombination with a hinged rack of a particular design especially adaptedto make the two halves of the rack fit together tightly. The design ofthis clasp is of great importance because play is enhanced considerablyby a good fit.

A further object is to provide pucks for the game having apertures'therethrough, and in combination a as the drawings are only for thepurpose of illustrating a way in which the principles of this inventioncan be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalentprinciples may be used and structural changes may be made as desired bythose skilled in the art without departing from the present inventionand the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings: 1

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the board or rack of the game shown inplaying position.

Figure 2 is a, perspective view of a puck holder with pucks thereon.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the rack taken;- along the line 3-3 of Figure 1 and further illustrating its position on a, table.

States Patent in number.

Patented Oct. 4, 1960 Figure 4 is a detail view illustrating the claspused.

Figure 5 is a detail view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4 andshowing the clasp and hinging.

Figure 6 is an isometric view showing the clasp or clamp used to rigidlysecure the game board in an extended position. i

The game of this invention comprises a playing board generally indicatedat 10, which is called a rack. The rack 10 has two half portions 12 and14.

Each half portion is composed of bottom members 16 and two side membersor rails 20. The bottom members 16 are normally disposed horizontallyand are each of elongated rectangular shape having their ends adjoiningeach other along a line 30. I

The rails 20 extend vertically upwardly one on each of the longer sidesof the bottom boards 16. The inside lower corner of each rail 20 isnotched as best seen at 34 for receiving the adjacent corner of the edgeof the respective bottom piece 16. The edges of the bottom pieces 16 aresuitably secured to the rails 20.

The bottom pieces 16 are held together by a hinge 40 shown in dottedlines in Figure 4 and in full lines at Figure 5. The hinge 40 ispreferably of a great length for extending substantially from one sideto the other of the bottom pieces 16.

The hinge is secured to the bottom pieces 16 by screws 44. The hinge 40has a transverse pin 46 in alignment with the joint 30.

The upper corners of the adjoining edges of the bottom pieces 16 arebeveled inwardly as seen at 50. The bevel '50 is slight but is helpfulin permitting pucks 70 to slide freely across the joint 30.

The two halves 12 and 14 of the rack are held together by claspsgenerally shown at St). The clasps are vdisposed one on each side of therack attached to the inner side of the rails 20 and spanning the joint30 therebetween.

The clasp 80 is best shown in Figure 6 and has a hook portion 82 withone end turned back for receiving a holder member 84 of a loop shapehaving an open center 86 and inturned ends 88 pivotally attached to aclamp lever 90. The lever 90 is of U-shape having its outer endspivotally fixed by a pivot pin 92 to a mounting member 94, which latterhas an outturned end 96 with its outer end turned back upon itselfaround the pin 92 for holding the pin 92 in place. i i

The two half portions 82 and 94 of each clasp 80 are fixed to the rails20 by screws 100.

As thus described when the holders 84 are placed in the hooks 82 and thelever 90 is pressed down against its mounting member 94, the edges ofadjacent rails 20 will be firmly pressed together to provide a rigidgame board.

As best seen in Figure l, the target end of the board is provided with aplurality of stalls 129, preferably four These stalls are formed byproviding three equally spaced apart wall members 124 which extendinwardly from an end rail 126. The walls 124 are suitably secured to therespective bottom member 16 and to the end rail 126. The end rail 126 issuitably secured to the adjacent rails 20. i

The wall members 124 are further held in place by a reinforcing rod 128which extends from one rail 20- to the other through apertures 130 inthe walls 124. The ends of the rod 128 are secured to the respectiverails20.

Each stall 120 is provided with a number fixed to the end rail 126,'thenumbers being 1, 3, 4 and 2 respectively, reading from left to right.The higher numbers are preferably in the center'stalls because it iseasier to shoot a puck into the side stalls 1 and 2 because of theguidance of the guide rails 20.

bumper 150 should be of resilient material preferably rubber and addinterest to the game because they cause the pucks to bounce back out ofthe stalls 120 if thrown too hard. 2 p

Additionally, a rubber bumper 160 is fixed to the lower portion of theinner end of each wall 124.

All bumpers 150 and 160 are disposed adjacent the bottom 16 and at aheight to cause the pucks to bounce rearwardly therefrom for addinginterest to the game.

A limit rod 170 extends across the board between the joint 30 and theopen end of the boardy172. The limit rod 170 is fixed to the rails 20and is spaced aboutmid- Way between the bottom of each rail 20 and thetop. In this way pucks will slide under the limit rail-170 but it is notpossible for a player to push his playing hand under the rail 170 whileholding the puck. Because of this the limit rail 170 limits thecloseness to the target stalls to which the player can be. a

The pucks '70 are each of circular shape having a center openingNib-extending axially therethrough. The purpose of the openings 200 isseen in Figure 2 as a plurality of pucks 70 can be placed upon a puckholder 300 for holding the pucks in. the left hand while shooting withthe right hand. i 7

The holder 309 comprises the handle portion 310 fixed to a holder rodhaving a handle receiving port-ion, 312 disposed preferably at slightlyless than a right angle with respect to a spacing portion 314 to whichit is connected. The spacing portion 314 is connected to a normallyvertical downwardly extending portion 316 which is attached at its lowerend to an inwardly extending horizontal portion .320. .The portions 314and 320 are horizontally disposed preferably in ali nment as seen in topplan view and in parallelism as seen in side elevation. The portion 316is disposed at a right angle to the portion 314 and the portion 320. i

At the inner end of the portion 320 is, an upwardlyextending puckreceiving portion 322. The portionH322 is disposed at right angles tothe portion 320' and is attached thereto. 1 The portion 322 extendsupwardly beyond the handle 310 and has a tip end portion 324 attachedthereto which bends at an angle of approximately 150 with respect to theportion 322, the bend being slightly toward thehandle 31b forfacilitating the placing of a puck on theiportion 324. There is' atendency to hold the packs 70 on the carrier or holder 3% at times whenthe. portion 322 is held in an approximately horizontal position.

As best seen in Figure 3 the rack 10 can be placed upon a table 350having legs 352 and is supported upon feet 354 which are formed of.rubber or other suitable resilient material. I v

The feet 354 are fixed to the underside of the bottom pieces 16 in anysuitable manner and the feet 354 are preferably four in number, twobeing disposed underthe section 12 and two under the section 14. Thefeet 354 are disposed toward the side rails each disposed adjacent arespective side rail 20 and are disposed approximatel'y midway betweenthe respective end of the section 12 or 14 and the center joint 30. p

The game is scored in accordance with the number of pucks disposedinwardly of the stalls 120. If the center of an opening 200 of a puck isdisposed under the rod 128 then the puck is considered to be in thestall in question. i

If one puck is in each of the four stalls, then the score 2 theconvenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated,and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of somechange and modification without departing from the principles and spiritthereof, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limitingmyself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several partsherein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except asclaimed.

a I claim:

A game board having a bottom of oblong shape having a normallyhorizontal surface for receiving sliding pucks, said game board havingupwardly extending wall members fixed to its sides and at least one ofits ends, said bottom board and side wall members being in two separatesections normally abutting each other at approximately the lengthwisecenter of the board, hinge means attaching the two sections of said gameboard together, whereby the two sections are adapted to be folded intopositions alongside each other for storage, a plurality of upright stallpartition walls being provided and sutiably secured in place forproviding a plurality of target stalls at one end of said game board,said walls being disposed in parallelism with said sidewalls and openingtoward the opposite end of said board for receiving pucks there-'between, a means disposed extending across said bottom board adjacentouter ends of said stall partitionwalls, and spaced upwardly fromisaidbottom board and attached .to said stall partition walls and to saidside walls for indicating an outer boundary of said stalls to facilitatethe determining of whether a puck should'be counted asadequately in atargetstall; a plurality of resilient bumpers disposed one in each ofsaid-target stalls and fixed to said end wall at points sufiicientlynear the upper surface of said bottom member to receive the force ofpucks striking thereagainst to cause the pucks to bounce backwards, aplurality of resilient bumper members on the inner ends of each of saidpartition walls likewise disposed sufficiently close to said bottommember for causing pucks to bounce back therefrom; a limit memberextending transversely across said board from one side wall to theopposite sidewall and being fixed to said side walls at points disposedbetween said joint between said sections and that endyof saidboard whichis opposite said target stalls, said limit member being spaced asubstantial distance inwardly from that end of said board whichisopposite said stalls, and being spaced upwardly from said bottommember a sufficient distance for the free passage ofpucks therebeneath;and each section of said bottom member being bevelled on its upper sideat the point of joinder-between'said sections soas -to permit pucksto.,slide more freely across the joint; and said hinge means comprisinga hinge extending substantially the en tire distance from one side. ofsaid board to the other side of said board, said hinge being fixed toeach section of said bottom member and disposed beneath said bottommember section,"an d clasps attached to the inner side of each of, saidside wall sections and spanning the point of joinder between thesections of each side wall respectively References Cited in the file ofthis pat ent UNITED STATES PATENTS

